But a recent burst started off so bright, and faded so slowly, that astronomers were able to study it for months. The burst is called GRB 060729, and it was first discovered on July 29, 2006 by NASA’s Swift Satellite. Since it lasted so long, astronomers think the initial explosion might have been receiving continuous amounts of energy from some other source.
One possibility is a magnetar; a neutron star with an ultra-powerful magnetic field. The magnetic field acts as a brake, forcing the star to slow down, and transfers energy into the gamma ray burst explosion. This energy could keep the afterglow going for weeks and months.
Original Source: NASA News Release
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